Columbine: Three Views on the Images

Photographs convey the emotion of a tragedy, but the images may serve to wound as well as to heal. Such was the case with news photos used after the Columbine shootings in April 1999. How do we judge pictures that take us closer to the grief and shock of people whose lives are directly touched by violence?

Photographs convey the emotion of a tragedy, but the images may serve to wound as well as to heal. Such was the case with news photos used after the Columbine shootings in April 1999. How do we judge pictures that take us closer to the grief and shock of people whose lives are directly touched by violence?

David Handschuh, the New York Daily News photographer whose work is featured in this series, submitted four of his Columbine pictures for the reactions of Jenny Wieland, co-founder of Mothers Against Violence in America, and two journalists from the Herald, a daily newspaper in Everett, Washington — Editor Stan Strick and Rich Shulman, director of photography. Their comments and the pictures follow.

ABOUT THE PICTURES
Strick & Shulman: In general, we thought all images were acceptable for publication. The one issue we might be concerned with would be the repetition of photos showing people grieving.

Wieland: This photographer's collection contained photos that had both positive and negative impact, giving the viewers thoughtful insights, and other photos which were not victim-sensitive, and especially troubling as the subjects were children. It shows both sides of the struggle between the media's pursuit of a story and the importance of treating victims with dignity and respect.

Handschuh: The hardest assignment for any photographer is to make an image of a grieving person, someone who has just been thrust into the media spotlight by sole virtue of experiencing a tragic loss. It's difficult for a visual journalist to raise a camera in the faces of victims during a quiet, tearful memorial service. Each click of the shutter sounds like a cannon shot going off. Thoughtful photojournalists transport themselves into the subject's shoes, wondering how we would react if put in the same position. Image makers who do that often bring back the most moving images. 

Comments on Image One

Strick & Shulman: The closeup photo of two people grieving would probably be the first to go. It's a bit too close and there's no context such as the two being part of a larger crowd.

Wieland: I reacted very strongly to the photo with the young blonde girl crying with tears running down her face. I assume this was taken at a candlelight vigil, an event where the community could come collectively to mourn and to grieve. As a coordinator of vigils, I know they are usually planned to be a "safe place" to show emotion. This showed a lack of dignity and respect for those who were there. This child is in pain. We've got to remember the horrible effects violence has on children. She needed a hug and was getting one. It was not the moment the media should have intruded.

Handschuh: Using technology such as long telephoto lenses, we are able to capture these moments from afar, not by invading the personal space of our subjects. The closeup of the hugging mother and daughter was made with a 300 mm. telephoto lens from a distance. It was during an outdoor, public memorial service that was attended by 100,000 people. It was a private, personal moment in the middle of a very public memorial.

Comments on Image Two

Strick & Shulman: We particularly liked the photo of the girl holding the flowers in the air ...

Wieland: The photo made me angry. This looks like a gathering to remember the victims who were injured or killed. These students appear to be in shock. They needed privacy to express whatever they were feeling and should be given the dignity and respect to do this privately.

Handschuh: The shot of the hugging teens with the raised flowers was made at the same public memorial service. The image compassionately and effectively communicates the personal loss and the loss of the community.

Comments on Images Three and Four

Strick & Shulman: We particularly liked these photos.

Wieland: I was impacted positively by the white snow, the red rose, the handwritten notes of sympathy ... My initial thoughts were — white snow, like the innocence of the victims; red rose, honoring their lives; the handwriting, the heartfelt words of those co-victims. This was a powerful photo that demonstrated powerfully the loss felt by the Littleton community. Likewise, the single cross with flowers representing one of the victims was also powerful. The flowers symbolize mourning, loss, sadness. The fact that Columbine High School was in the background made for a moving picture.

Handschuh: The image of the flowers in the snow and the flowers near the cross involve little or no human interaction yet can provoke as strong an emotion and sense of loss as the images with grieving friends.